'You don't want it to end': Diamond Heels reflect after season-ending loss to Florida State

OMAHA, Neb. — When Casey Cook grounded a breaking ball to second base, ending UNC’s season, nobody in the dugout moved. 

With his helmet and batting gloves still on, Anthony Donofrio waited for an at-bat that would never come. Vance Honeycutt ran his hands through his hair, coming to terms with the sinking feeling that this would be his last time wearing a North Carolina jersey. Alberto Osuna just put his head in his hands with his eyes closed. 

The shock held the players in place. The finality brought them to tears. 

“You don’t want it to end,” Honeycutt said. 

The possibility of hoisting the program’s first national championship trophy ended at the hands of Florida State on Tuesday afternoon. After falling behind 7-1, the No. 4-seeded Tar Heels scored four runs in the fifth inning looking to find a way to prevail like they have so many times before in the postseason. But with FSU’s two solo home runs in the bottom of the ninth to push the score to 9-5, North Carolina’s hopes of a late-game comeback were dashed. 

And there’s a lot to say about the loss. The mistakes. The nine walks. The inability to find a solution for Florida State’s offense paired with a silent Tar Heel lineup. 

But during head coach Scott Forbes’ fourth season at the helm, there’s also something to say about this season’s unprecedented success. It’s been building steadily since he took over the program. 

In the fall, Forbes held a team meeting. 

Before the 2024 campaign, the goal was simple: punch a ticket to Omaha and win a national championship. 

The goal remained even after losing senior right-handed pitcher Jake Knapp to a season-ending injury in January. And North Carolina held onto it even more tightly after losing backup ace Folger Boaz to an elbow injury in April. 

Still, through the adversity, the Tar Heels pushed themselves to an ACC regular season championship finish and a No. 4 national seed. They outlasted LSU in the Chapel Hill Regional and pushed past West Virginia in the super regional with walk-off victories during every stage. 

But that camaraderie comes from the team culture that Forbes worked to create. As his time at UNC progressed, he began to preach about building irreplaceable relationships and selflessness. 

Sure, the wins and the deep postseason runs mean everything, but he puts on that uniform every day to create those bonds. 

That’s why Forbes gets emotional when talking about his coaching staff and the loyalty they have to him and this program. It’s why he takes a deep breath before discussing all the messages he received from past players after working his way to Omaha. It’s why he jokes that Honeycutt is only a junior and will return to Boshamer Stadium even as a surefire first-round draft pick. 

“That’s what I’m most disappointed in,” Forbes said. “I don’t get to put the uniform on again with my team, and I don’t get to see the former players that are out here.”

And now that it’s over, Forbes has one final question. Where does that joy come from? 

The type of joy that makes a team want to keep pushing. The joy that makes winning a national championship exhilarating and a season-ending loss devastating. 

“I think these guys know where it comes from,” Forbes said. “It comes from creating those memories and having those relationships you’re never going to lose.” 

The joy comes from the same place as the heartbreak. This team will never play together again. Some players will never wear their UNC jersey again or pick up a bat as a college athlete.  

So, as the Seminoles flooded the mound, Cook paused and took off his helmet and his ankle guard. He traveled slowly back to the dugout to join his team. 

Cook stood silently there with them. 

“These are my best friends,” Cook said. “If I wanted the season to end anywhere I'd want it to be in Omaha. And doing it with your best friends is even more special.”

After a minute in the dugout coming out of the initial shock, Honeycutt eventually moved. 

He walked back onto the field. He hugged senior Colby Wilkerson. His lips quivered and he shook his head before he hugged senior captain Jackson Van De Brake. And then he embraced every other teammate that made his college career worthwhile. 

“These experiences with these guys and this team, you won't forget it,” Honeycutt said, before later adding, “It's just special to be able to be out here and share these moments with these guys.”

The temporary heartbreak and the understanding that they failed to meet those pre-season expectations will continue. 

But in the locker room following the game, with a crying team around him, Forbes put the journey into perspective — they were only one goal short. For the head coach, this has been a special year with a special team. 

“At the end of the day, there's only one team that's happy when the dust settles out here in Omaha,” Forbes said. “But I told the guys in the locker room, the word that came to my mind was ‘proud,’ just because they should be proud of what they've done this entire season.”

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